{"title":"Role of cumulus–oocyte interactions in fertility","authors":"Alexandra Le Bras","doi":"10.1038/s41684-025-01513-8","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>Reproductive aging in biological women is characterized by a progressive decline of ovarian function that culminates in menopause. Fertility usually decreases after age 35 with more limited pregnancies after age 40, indicating that changes in the premenopausal female reproductive tract are already occurring that negatively impact reproductive success. A study in <i>Communications Biology</i> shows that structural changes in the zona pellucida (ZP) —the specialized extracellular matrix surrounding the developing oocyte— reduce the fertility of middle-aged (34–38-week-old) female mice. The researchers notably observed a reduction in transzonal projections —the thin cytoplasmic projections that connect cumulus cells to the oocyte— in middle-aged mice compared to younger mice. This change was associated with a decrease in cumulus cell–oocyte interactions, resulting in a deterioration of oocyte quality. The team also identified structural changes on the ZP surface of middle-aged mice, which prevented sperm binding. Altogether, these results suggest that age-related oocyte–cumulus miscommunication impairs the formation of ZP and reduces middle-aged female fertility.</p><p><b>Original reference:</b> Ishikawa-Yamauchi, Y. et al<i>. Commun. Biol</i>. <b>7</b>, 1692 (2024)</p>","PeriodicalId":17936,"journal":{"name":"Lab Animal","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Lab Animal","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41684-025-01513-8","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"VETERINARY SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Reproductive aging in biological women is characterized by a progressive decline of ovarian function that culminates in menopause. Fertility usually decreases after age 35 with more limited pregnancies after age 40, indicating that changes in the premenopausal female reproductive tract are already occurring that negatively impact reproductive success. A study in Communications Biology shows that structural changes in the zona pellucida (ZP) —the specialized extracellular matrix surrounding the developing oocyte— reduce the fertility of middle-aged (34–38-week-old) female mice. The researchers notably observed a reduction in transzonal projections —the thin cytoplasmic projections that connect cumulus cells to the oocyte— in middle-aged mice compared to younger mice. This change was associated with a decrease in cumulus cell–oocyte interactions, resulting in a deterioration of oocyte quality. The team also identified structural changes on the ZP surface of middle-aged mice, which prevented sperm binding. Altogether, these results suggest that age-related oocyte–cumulus miscommunication impairs the formation of ZP and reduces middle-aged female fertility.
Original reference: Ishikawa-Yamauchi, Y. et al. Commun. Biol. 7, 1692 (2024)
期刊介绍:
LabAnimal is a Nature Research journal dedicated to in vivo science and technology that improves our basic understanding and use of model organisms of human health and disease. In addition to basic research, methods and technologies, LabAnimal also covers important news, business and regulatory matters that impact the development and application of model organisms for preclinical research.
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